Retrieval
by jacq 13
Summary: Based off the Grimmdark AU by weissrabbit on tumblr. Yang was gone and it was her fault. She had to find her, bring her back. Warnings: Character death, angst? One shot


Yang was gone.

There was nothing she could do, and it was her fault, and Yang was GONE. Blake's Aura had been drained by the White Fang, and she died. But Yang... Yang had brought her back, at the expense of her own life.

And it was her fault.

Since she'd come back, Ruby had been a mess, staying in the infirmary, insisting on protecting her. Weiss had pulled her out of the infirmary a couple hours ago, saying she needed to take care of herself if she expected to be able to take care of her team.

Weiss had tried reasoning with Blake, trying to tell her that it was the White Fangs fault, not hers, but she was wrong. If she had been stronger, more alert, quicker, smarter, anything that could have helped. Yang had to help her, save her from her past.

And then she'd saved her again, brought her back after the White Fang had drained her, after Adam... And the retrieval team had left Yang's body behind.  
She had to retrieve it, bury her partner, her best friend. It's the least she deserved after what she had done. But her body was weak, still recovering from having died at the hands of the White Fang, from having her Aura forcibly pulled from her body. Damn her own body for betraying her like this.  
She began straining her muscles, moving, trying to stand. The nurse on duty moved to stop her, but she flared what little aura she had left, making the nurse turn back and take refuge in her office.

She knew she had to move, but her body wouldn't let her. "Come on, Yang needs me. Her body is out there and I have to get it back, I can't do that unless you START MOVING" her voice slowly rose in volume, until she was yelling. Something within her seemed to stir as she moved her legs off the bed. She knew the damage this would cause, but it wasn't important. She needed to get to Yang, before the Grimm did.

Blake quickly walked out of Beacon's infirmary, the only thought in her head was getting to Yang's body. She knew she needed supplies, ammo, bandages, the essentials. Everyone was in class at this time of day, so she didn't have to worry about anyone asking her why she was out of the infirmary already, so it didn't take her long to reach the armory.

Walking towards her locker, she noticed one of the showers running, but didn't pay it too much attention, focusing instead on Gambol Shroud's state. Some nicks, maybe a quick sharpening, reload some magazines. A jolt of pain shot through her, but she ignored it as best as she could, Yang wasn't safe, so she couldn't rest.

"Blake? What are you doing out of the infirmary?"

She turned around, startled. Ruby stood behind her, still wet, but fully dressed. She looked worried, tired. The bags under her eyes told the world how little she had slept recently, red rimmed eyes, even after her shower, depicted her emotional state, the loss of a team mate, getting her back, but losing her sister in the process, all this in a short span of time, would devastate anyone's state of mind. Luckily Ruby was a strong girl, she handled it as well as she could.

"Ruby... I-I'm fine, I was just checking on my equipment, you know how retrieval teams are" Blake tried to lie, but her voice wavered a bit, betraying her emotions.

"You've never been a good liar" Ruby murmured sadly "You're going out for her, aren't you" It was a statement, more then a question, her voice breaking slightly "You-You shouldn't go"

"Ruby, how can you say that?" she questioned her leader, eyes wide, disbelieving "How can I leave her there? She deserves better then being eaten by a-an Ursa, or a Beowolf!" She had stood up at some point, shocked that RUBY would be the one to say this, Yang's SISTER.

"Blake, I, more then anyone, want to get her, but its not possi-"

"_NOT POSSIBLE?!" _Shocked at she was hearing, the normally quiet faunus yelled, not understanding how Ruby could say that. Even Weiss, who never really cared much for Yang beyond her being her best friends sister, would have backed her up on this. "How could you say that?! This is Yang we're talking about! Your SISTER! My best friend, my partner! We can't just LEAVE her out there!"

"Blake, you don't understand! When the retrieval team-"

"Don't get me started on those jackasses! How could they leave a fellow huntresses body out there?! Exposed, just waiting to be eaten by a stra-"

"THERE WAS NO BODY!" Ruby exclaimed, stopping Blake mid rant.

"Wh- No body? But... she was there!"

"I know, Blake, but... when the retrieval team got there, you were the only one in the clearing, Yang's body wasn't there"

"Tha-that can't be! She was there! She brought me back!" There was no way Yang had- That the Grimm had- _'NO. She's out there and I have to-' _ A s of pain hit her like a train, bringing her down to her knees from the intensity, Ruby rushing towards her in alarm.

"Blake! Alright, that's it, I'm taking you back to the infirmary!" Ruby said, slinging Blake's arms over her slim shoulders, starting towards the door. There was no way Blake was going to just lay in a hospital bed while Yang's body was still out there, so she did the only thing that seemed logical in her mind.

She fought.

Shrugging off Ruby's arm from her shoulders, she did a small pirouette, ignoring the small ache that came from her legs. "Blake, what are you-" She pulled out Gambol Shrouds ribbon, twirling it around to confuse Ruby while she positioned the ribbon around her. A quick yank completed the maneuver, tying up Ruby in a tight cocoon.

"I'm sorry Ruby, but I have to get her back" Blake murmured sadly, watching her leader struggle to move. "I can't leave her there. She- She deserves a proper burial" She choked back a sob as she said this. She knew Yang was dead, there was no bringing her back. But she deserved better then this.  
Turning, she said to Ruby "The ribbon will last for a while, don't follow me, don't send anyone after me. I'll bring her back" Collecting a few magazines from her locker, she left the armory, and soon was making her way to Forever Fall forest.

* * *

She had been wandering the forest for a couple hours now, not being able to pinpoint the clearings exact location. She knew the area well from the schools trips and her own forays in search of some quiet from the occasionally rambunctious team she had been placed in. The Grimm that normally patrolled the area seemed to be gone, not one appearing or attacking her. Only two things could cause so many Grimm to disappear so quickly, and neither was really a possibility. Mass extermination by hunters, or a bigger, more powerful Grimm had scare them away.

The trees soon became familiar, and what little memory she had of the day said the clearing was probably close by. The way she pushed her body would probably end her career as a huntress, but it didn't matter. Yang needed to be honored, not desecrated by the monsters of Grimm that roamed the forest. She was approaching a clearing rapidly, so she slowed down to a more manageable speed, just in case Beowolves or Ursa had gotten there before she did, but as she crossed the threshold of the threes, all she saw was a clearing, filled with some roses near one side, and a large pool of blood, seemingly trailing out of the clearing.

Had Grimm gotten there first? No, no there would be bones scattered around, plus the trail of blood indicated something had moved, and Grimm did NOT move prey, the eat it on the spot.

2 solutions then, Yang's alive or... No. Yang's alive, there's no alternative, no use even thinking about it. But... A full Aura transfer kills you, there's no exceptions. You drain your soul into whatever you want, but you die, and that's the sacrifice Yang had made for her.

But the chance that the alternative had happened was there.

The creatures of Grimm are soulless creatures, formed from hate and pain after someone dies. Usually it forms away from the body, where, no one actually knows, there's never been an exact measurement for it. But in some rare cases, the body begins turning into a Grimm before peoples eyes. This is rare, rare enough to be considered an urban myth.

But there have been documented cases of this happening. So the chance... No. She's alive. Steeling her resolve, Blake pushed her body even further, following the trail of blood.

She didn't manage to get very far before something managed to get in her way. A blur, black and yellow, dashed into the clearing, and began circling her at very high speeds.

_'Damn it, I can't fight like this, I should have let Ruby take me to the infirmary, but there's no use feeling sorry for myself now anyway, I need to kill this thing and find Yang'_ Blake weighted her options, outrunning it in her state was just an impossibility, fighting it as well. Escaping was going to take some finesse, which she may not have as she is right now.

The Grimm continued to circle her, not slowing down in the slightest. She knew she'd only get out if it stopped, and there's no reason for it to stop, except one.

So she drops, and starts playing dead.

Grimm like easy prey, but aren't above fighting to eat. Usual Grimm behavior would dictate it would circle her once more, take a sniff, a couple nudges and then a bite. She could probably use one of the nudges to add to her momentum, if she timed it right.

_'Alright, there's the sniff... nudge, and... NOW' _Blake snapped her eyes open, the Grimm centimeters from her face, yellow and white dominating her vision, and lunged back, her exhausted body barely allowing her to back up a scant 1- feet.

And then she saw the Grimm properly.

She stared, horrified by what she saw. Yang, beautiful, buxom, funny/punny, strong, powerful Yang, was no longer Yang. A white mask on her face giving her fangs, a pelt and spikes of bone growing from her shoulders, threatening to consume what humanity she had left.

But the worst part was the eyes.

Her eyes, once violet, passionate, full of life, love, and something uniquely _Yang_, were now red. Not the red tint they gained when she was in battle, no, this was a red of anger, pain, misery, contempt, and just a blood lust so overwhelming she stepped/crawled back in fear of what she had found.

The beast that was once Yang caught sight of her, and it snarled, lunging at her. She stood frozen, still in pain from what she believed to be her own doing, so she was unable to dodge the lethal blow the still growing Grimm dealt her.

* * *

That day a legend began, 2 Grimm, not of the same species, coexisting peacefully, destroying any that came to eliminate them. No one knew how these beasts had become as powerful as they were, but many novice hunters attempted to prove their worth by challenging the beasts. Very few ever returned.

But one day, a team of 6 hunters, one pair from a team formed and destroyed at Beacon Academy, the other four from another. The six managed to defeat the monsters, but suffered heavy losses. Pyrrha Nikos and Jaune Arc, on of the couples that went to defeat the beasts were gravely wounded, while Nora Valkarye and Lie Ren were unable to continue their careers as hunters.

The other two members of the team that eliminated the pair of Grimm, Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee, retired from public life, stepping down as Headmistress of Beacon, and as Chairman of Schnee Dust Corporation, respectively. A few people managed to find and interview them about the incident, but no conclusive story was ever achieved.

One thing they all did find in common, was that both women looked to their mantle, where an old yellow gauntlet was wrapped with a black ribbon.


End file.
